Tittl stated that the bill “allows buyers of defective farm equipment to get their money back if a defection in the equipment has been subject to repair at least four times and continues to exist”.

The bill was designed similarly to the 1984 Wisconsin Lemon Law in place for cars, trucks, and SUV’s.

There are currently ten other states that already have similar lemon laws for agricultural machinery, including Illinois and Minnesota.

Tittl explained that the idea of the bill is credited to Tom Freis, a local farmer who spent roughly $40,000 on repairs attempting to get his tractor to work, yet never was able to do so.

Freis testified in favor of the bill in Madison and was accompanied by Attorney Patrick DeWayne who was “instrumental in the creation of the automobile lemon law in 1984.”

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The Association continually monitors state legislation relevant to the shortline farm equipment industry. In past months, it has also begun tracking bills dealing with COVID-19 liability. Here is a snapshot of issues we are following.

Lemon Law

In Tennessee, a bill is being debated that would require equipment manufacturers to replace farm machinery with comparable machinery. The bill also allows for returns, refunds, and coverage of repair costs, and creates a civil cause of action for consumers. This bill is similar to laws passed in several states—most recently in Arkansas.

Right to Repair

The battle to enact right-to-repair legislation in various forms continues, with legislation currently filed in more than a dozen states.

Distribution

While motor vehicle manufacturers are the current target, a bill being discussed in Maryland would prohibit actions that would prevent a dealer from listing the purchase price of a vehicle online. The bill also prohibits manufacturers from coercing or requiring a dealer to list a price on the dealer’s website that is different from the purchase price.